Richard Dent had 1.5 quarterback sacks, forced two fumbles, and blocked a pass, helping the Bears to a 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots.
Butkus made an immediate impact as a rookie, intercepting five passes and recovering seven opponents' fumbles. He was also credited unofficially with having forced six fumbles.
Ditka revolutionized the tight end position as a pass catcher. In 1961, he won rookie of the year honors after hauling in 56 passes for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Payton's career and personality would capture the hearts of Bear fans, who called him "Sweetness".
Piccolo was the subject of the 1971 TV movie Brian's Song. He was portrayed in the film by James Caan.
Official team and league records cite Halas as the founder as he took over the team in 1920 when it became a charter member of the NFL.
Urlacher led the Bears with 124 tackles and eight sacks, both of which surpassed the franchise's previous rookie records.
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